


By Falling We Learn to Go Safely

by Freedom_Shamrock



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aged Up, F/M, Fluff, Kataang - Freeform, Kataang Week, Kataang Week 2019, Kataang Week 2020, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2020-09-19 05:57:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 7,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20326240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Freedom_Shamrock/pseuds/Freedom_Shamrock
Summary: Slice of life moments as Aang (17) and Katara (19) travel across the world helping others.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The first six chapters are a little late submission for Kataang Week 2019. Chapter seven picks up the collection with Kataang Week 2020. 
> 
> Chapter one is for the prompt Storm and Thunder.

Katara heard the first low roll of thunder off in the distance and froze, listening. Counting. Calculating how far away the storm was, she was grateful Sokka had taught her the trick. Back in the Southern Water Tribe, storm warnings came in different ways. Here, where there were four seasons (or three in a rough year), the signs had been so hard to figure out. Sure, she could feel the water-heavy clouds, but that didn't tell her the distance or speed.

She pulled out the fabric map and unrolled it over Appa's front right foot. Closing her eyes, she called on her water-bending, detecting the direction of the storm and getting a feel for how much water it held. Water was power when it came to storms. She sucked in a breath at its heaviness. That could make it less predictable, faster or slower than other storms. Definitely stronger. She poured polished rocks into her hand, laying them out onto the map in the vicinity of the storm. Then she nudged them based on how far away Sokka's method told her the storm was. Another low rumble helped her confirm the leading edge. She sat back and stared at the map. Today definitely called for a change of plans.

"We're going to need to find a good spot to hunker in," she told Appa. She tapped a place on the map. "This should be a nice place to wait out a storm." She patted his face. "Stay put. I'm going to get Aang and he may want to see this before we go. But be ready for us to break camp extra fast."

Appa let out a groan of agreement.

She smiled at him. "We're going to keep you safe. Don't you worry about a thing." She turned and headed into the tiny cave Aang was using for his morning meditation. She preferred to let him go for as long as he needed. The life of the avatar was hectic and stressful, and she hated watching him lose his joy in the world when his responsibilities got too much. Meditation was his first line of defense in that routine battle.

She'd only taken two steps past the entrance when he addressed her. "Katara? Is there a storm coming in?" His voice was calm, relaxed.

She smiled as she moved to the shadows of the shallow cave where he still sat in full lotus. "Yes. And it feels like a big one. I think Appa would really rather we not ride in it." Aang had managed to move beyond his old fear of storms, though he would rarely choose to fly in them unless his duties required it. The sky bison, however, had far more difficulty putting their shared past behind him.

Aang stretched and floated to his feet, a graceful move that she loved watching. "Do you think we should hunker in here or move?" he asked, picking up his shoes and walking over to her. When he was younger he'd looked to her and Sokka for guidance. During the war, he'd come to trust his own judgement and planning skills. In learning diplomacy both from the past avatars and Iroh, he'd settled into a balance that took the perspectives of his companions, or those he was helping, into consideration.

"I'd rather we move," she replied. "I've found a nice place in the foothills that we've been meaning to go back to. It's uninhabited and has good space for a earth-bent dome or cave that will protect Appa."

Even in the low light, she could see his eyes and smile widen. "Is this that place with the stream? A bit down from that pretty little waterfall?"

She nodded. It always made her happy when they were so in tune with each other. "You liked the waterfall," she pointed out.

He chuckled. "I did. And so did you." He caught her hand. "Honestly, it sounds like a perfect place to have a little avatar retreat." He started toward the mouth of the cave, drawing her along with him. "I love the sound of rain. So relaxing." He sighed happily.

"That's your inner water-bender talking." She laughed. It was something they shared as often as they could. Sitting in silence, listening to the rain.

"Yeah," he agreed. "But there's more to it than that." He squeezed her hand. "There's this water-bender I love, and the rain washes away her stress and frustration. It's like meditation for her." He beamed at her. "And seeing her happy is my favorite thing in the world."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 30-minute sprint.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aang is an early riser. Sometimes that's helpful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kataang Week 2019, prompt #2, breathe

Aang rolled onto his back and relaxed, listening to the songs of the leopard-frogs and cricket-moths. Traveling around the world as they did could really mess with the sleep cycle, and the transition from night creatures to day, was one of his all time favorite moments to be awake. Sure, big cities felt alive with their densely packed populations and activities that could run at any hour. But this was the time and place where the whole world felt truly alive; people weren't the only beings the avatar helped, after all.

As he sat up, he heard Katara mumbling near by. The bugs hadn't been bad last night, so they chose to sleep in Appa's shadow. For propriety's sake, and to avoid the irritating conversation on cultural differences, they generally didn't share a bed when they weren't at one of the many homes set aside in each country for the avatar. Here in the forest, away from the eyes of others, they'd placed their pallets directly beside each other and shared a blanket. It was just another reason to avoid heading into a town to sleep.

"Nooo," Katara moaned softly. "Stop."

He frowned. That didn't sound like a happy dream filled with otter-penguins and turtle-ducks. "K'tara?" he whispered, not really wanting to wake her up, but hoping he could disrupt the nightmare. She was a morning person, but didn't tend to get up quite this early.

She struggled a little in her light bedroll, eventually flopping onto her back and flailing her arm against him where he leaned over her. "Aagh!" She startled awake, sitting upright, her eyes wide.

"Bad dream?" he asked gently. He had more than his own fair share of bad dreams, some caused by spirits and others by memories, both his own and those of his past lives.

Still looking disoriented and uneasy, she jerked her head in a nod. She panted as though she'd been working hard.

Holding her eyes, he inched toward her. "Need a hug?" he asked, opening his arms once he was close enough.

Katara practically threw herself against him, shuddering a little as she pressed her face into his chest and held him tightly.

He rested his cheek against her forehead and sighed. "I've got you, Sweetie. You're safe and strong. And Appa's keeping watch over us." He ran his hand down her back, and something about feeling her spine through her thin nightshirt made her seem more fragile, human. His girlfriend was a veritable force of nature, and even knowing her as he did, didn't prevent him from being caught up by how amazing she was. It was a lot like how people saw him; the avatar and world balancer, not Aang the last of the airbenders and a seventeen year old still finding his way.

"I need you to match your breathing to mine, okay?" he said, his voice a low whisper in her ear. She liked his voice when it had changed. He did, too, since it meant people took him more seriously. Its effect on her was a delight to watch, though. Sometimes it soothed her, like now, which was extra helpful. "Good, job." She was struggling to inhale evenly, but she deserved praise for even trying. "Nice and slow. Just focus on making the breath go in… and out. Yeah. You're getting there." Slowly she got herself under control. Bit by bit, she relaxed until she was a dead weight against him. "That's it." He raised his head to kiss her temple. "Just breathe. I've got you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 30-minute sprint.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Exhausted Aang.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kataang Week prompt #3, Gentle Touches/Weakness

Aang flopped face-first onto the bed and let out an extended groan.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" Katara asked, peeking out from the bathroom. "Oh. Rough training session?" she asked sympathetically. Getting together with Zuko and Iroh often led to some vigorous explorations of fire-bending that none of them had the opportunity to really engage in on their own.

"Just leave me here to die," he groaned. "Tell Appa I love him."

Holding in her laughter, she crossed the room to settle on the edge of the bed, avoiding jostling him too much. "You're being dramatic. I had no idea that a simple monk could be so excessive," she teased.

He turned his head to give her big sad lemur eyes. "Katara," he whined, definitely playing it up now. "My everything hurts." He'd grown up setting aside discomfort. During the war, he'd learned to push past pain that would have flattened anyone else, and just get the job done. She considered herself fortunate that he could let go of some of that when he was alone with her. Even if it was in the form of theatrics, she appreciated that he felt he could share his pain.

"Oh, my poor sweet avatar," she murmured, leaning in to kiss his cheek. "I'm so sorry those nasty fire-benders were so hard on you." She could see his happy smile hiding in the folds of the blanket pushed around his face. "Whatever can I do to make you feel better?" She placed one finger against her lips in an exaggerated thinking pose. "Do you want me to beat them up for you? Would that help?"

He shook his head, burying a chuckle in the mattress.

"Shall I send them a strongly worded note promising trade sanctions from the water tribes?" she asked. "My father is a chief, you know."

He snorted and shook his head.

"Something simpler and more direct, perhaps?" she suggested, reaching out to pull some water from the cistern in the bathroom. She let the ribbon of water swirl around them in a connected loop. "A little healing touch, maybe?"

He hummed. "Yes please."

She drew a small quantity out of the loop, bringing it to his back where she called on her healing energy. While he would have carried on without complaint, his back was full of bruises and tiny cuts that probably hurt quite a bit. "Yikes," she muttered. "No one can accuse them of going easy on you, that's for sure." She appreciated the value in training and sparring, but this all felt a bit excessive.

"Yeah," he mumbled, relaxing under her hands. "We were trying something new, and it was amazing, but… aaah," his words were cut off as she soothed a torn muscle under his left shoulder blade. "So. Much. Better."

She chuckled. "Maybe let me watch next time you guys decide to go all out like this. Healing is faster and easier before the swelling kicks in."

"Yeah." He sounded drowsy now. "We didn't really plan, but that's a good idea."

"Now why don't you go rinse off in the bath quick so you can take a nap and wake feeling refreshed?" she asked.

"That's a brilliant idea." He slowly pushed himself up. "But I wanted to spend the rest of the day with you."

She cupped his cheek with her right hand, letting her thumb stray over his skin. "I'm going to go check on Iroh and Zuko while you rest. I'm sure they feel just as awful as you did. And when you wake up, I'll be here. We can do something together then."

He sighed, closing his eyes and pressing his face into her hand. "I love you, Sweetie."

"I love you, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 30-minute sprint


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aang and Katara celebrate an air acolyte milestone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Belated Kataang Week 2019, prompt #4, culture/dancing

Aang felt the smile stretching his face as Katara stepped out from behind the screen wearing a gauzy ephemeral dress. While she'd had it made in her traditional water tribe colors, the design was pure airbender. She spun, sending the fabric swirling up, displaying loose wide-legged pants made of the same fabric, swishing and draping elegantly.

"Oh wow," he whispered. "That's my new favorite thing. You should have a dozen of them in all the colors you want."

Katara giggled. "That wouldn't be very practical, Sweetie."

He snorted. "When did I become the clothes ostritch-horse while you became the practical ascetic? Are you sure you're not an airbender?"

She walked over to him, her bare feet hardly making a sound over the wood floor and the fabric flowing gracefully with each step. "I actually hang out with this airbender all the time," she pointed out, tapping him lightly in the center of his chest. "I think he's rubbing off on me."

"Is the fit as expected, Lady Katara?" a middle-aged woman asked, walking out of the back room. "Oh goodness. That does suit you. Such a lovely design. So feminine."

"It's gorgeous," Aang said. "You did a brilliant job with it."

"Aah. Avatar Aang." The woman bowed deeply to him. "How kind of you to grace my shop with your presence. I'm grateful you entrusted me with the designs for airbender celebratory garments."

"I'll be sure to recommend you to everyone in and out of the area, Madame Zince." He bowed back to her. "C'mon Katara. We have to drop our other shopping at home before we meet up with the acolytes."

* * *

In the last year, the Air Acolytes had taken over the small island in Yue Bay as their refuge away from the chaos of rapidly growing Yu Dao. They'd started with day trips and short meditation retreats. After a couple of months they asked Aang to help them make a more lasting claim to the island before business owners decided it had value to them. While Yu Dao strove to create a harmony among all the nations, airbenders and air acolytes had some cultural needs that could not be met in the intense and chaotic city. Their petition was granted, and Air Temple Island became the calm place for acolytes who needed to get away from the distractions presented a densely packed population.

In recent months they had been preparing the island for development into a recognizable airbender temple. Today was their celebration of ground breaking. In the next week, non-benders and earthbenders would work together to create a few small buildings for communal living and eating, a training ground, and a tower dormitory reminiscent of the air temples of old.

Instead of their usual fleet of little boats, the acolytes and construction crew who were interested, were sailed across the bay on sheets of ice, compliments of Aang and Katara. They would be helping move heavy equipment to the island before moving on again later in the month.

Aang's ice boat followed Katara's, and he grinned at the way her new dress played in the breeze. He hadn't seen the clothing of his people in celebration since before he went into the ice for a hundred years. The acolytes did their best, bless them, but their designs were influenced by the modern world. There was no shame in that. The world was a constantly changing never permanent thing. But there was something deeply comforting about seeing something familiar and once thought lost forever.

The pier and walkup from water level were the only current changes to the island. He joined Katara at the head of the motionless group once all his passengers had disembarked. "They want you to go first," she explained.

Aang paused at the front of the group and turned to face them. "I appreciate this honor, but this isn't  **my** place. It belongs to all of us. And I have no doubt that you will all spend more time here than I, merely because my duties as avatar will call me away as the world continues to heal."

"Yes, but you're the last Airbender," Hei-Won called out. "Air Temple Island may not be yours from a sense of ownership, and it isn't our desire to build it in your honor. But without you, none of this would be possible. We wouldn't have gained the wisdom of the airbenders or been truly able to keep the culture alive. Letting you go first is merely a desire to show respect for our teacher."

There was a hubbub of agreement from the other acolytes.

Katara grinned and bumped her shoulder against his bicep. "You're allowed to accept their respect, Sweetie," she whispered.

Aang slowly bowed to the group. "I am honored and humbled. Thank you." He took Katara's hand, drawing her along with him to the slope up to the island proper. "Are you ready to dance, Sweetie?" he asked. "Because I can not wait to see how your new dress looks when you do." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 30 minute sprint split into two 15 minute chunks compliments of dance class.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kataang Week 2019, prompt #5, lazy day/morning

Katara carefully crawled into the hammock, inevitably setting it rocking as she tried not to squash Aang anywhere sensitive. As she settled herself in, pressed against his body with her head on his shoulder, she felt him let out a contented sigh.

"This is so nice," he whispered, wrapping one arm around her waist and reaching out to play with her hair with the other hand.

"It's what relaxing feels like," she pointed out. "Or don't you remember that?"

He chuckled. "Silly Sweetie," he murmured. "Of course I remember, even if I don't get to do it very often." They'd both gotten up with the dawn, following their usual routines. After meditation and breakfast, Aang had gone in search of the right place to hang the hammock they'd bought at a bazaar on Ember Island. 

"You were so much better at getting us to take breaks back when we first met," she pointed out. She hadn't appreciated it at the time, but she did now. She wondered how much his guardians and teachers had fostered that because he was an airbender, and how much was because he was the avatar.

"I was a kid," he said.

"Yeah, but you've told me about Gyatso," she reminded him. "He kept his joy in life despite great responsibilities, and you admired that."

"Hmmm." He nodded.

"I like that you've learned to be serious when you need to be, that's important if you want people to really listen to your advice." She reached up and rubbed his cheek, soft and clean shaven for the moment. "But I don't want you to lose who you are. You're still Aang the young man, and you need breaks. Rest. Time to embrace your life."

"Yes," he agreed. "That's what I'm doing right now." He gave her a little squeeze. "Embracing my life."

"Pffft," she giggled and shook her head.

They'd planned a trip to the Western Air Temple to assess its condition so earthbenders and stone smiths could begin repairs after a hundred years of neglect and damage from the war. The air acolytes were doing an excellent job building up the new air nation, but it wasn't the same. It couldn't be, and they had to be okay with that. While Aang insisted it wasn't necessary to try to restore the structures of an essentially dead civilization, he'd been overruled. Zuko had adamantly argued that the world needed the reminders of what his people had done to gain power, in the hope that no one would try the same thing in the future.

"It's so pretty here. Peaceful, too." She'd always been surprised to find that the air temples didn't feel creepy or haunted. This one was probably her favorite, simply because it was so different from any other dwelling place she'd ever seen.

"Even though it was the largest, this was always the most peaceful of our temples," he said. "Even when it was full of airbenders. The architecture and the trees work together to muffle and deaden the sounds, helping us to focus just on what's right here."

"I know you don't really agree, but I'm extra glad this one's going to be restored next," she said. The Southern Air Temple, as Avatar Aang's birthplace, had been first. Reconstruction was wrapping up, and had moved into the landscaping stage. "It's so unique. I think the world would be poorer to not have this place."

She felt his lips press against her forehead. "I hadn't really thought of it that way," he admitted. "And I guess I've come around on the idea. It's not that they're being restored for me or because of me. They're monuments to what can happen when we let evil people have too much power and control. They're part of our history."

"And the reconstruction is making history as all the remaining nations work together on them," she said. It was one of the things that gave her the most hope, seeing the many people of the various nations join forces for a unified purpose.

"That it is," he agreed. "We'll have to come up with ways to keep that group effort going once the air temples are all restored."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kataang Week 2019, prompt #6, frustrated.

Aang soared in through his bedroom window at the home he shared with his friends when any of them were in Ba Sing Se. He snapped his glider shut, wishing for just a moment it would make a louder harsher noise. Shaking his head, he very intentionally leaned the glider in its corner before heading out into the shared space of the little house. Kauai wanted to provide something more grand, something in the palace, but Aang preferred to live among the people of the city.

He found Katara in the kitchen, poring through a book while something bubbled on the stove. She must have caught him in her peripheral vision, because she looked up, then smiled brightly at him. "You're home earlier than I expected." Her happiness faded and she squinted as she looked him over. "That's not actually a good thing, is it?"

He shook his head. "There are times when I truly regret helping Kauai become more than a puppet." He closed his eyes and tried to push away the frustration. "Or at the very least, we should have ensured he got a good tutor on history and the art of diplomacy when we helped him find his spine."

She frowned sympathetically. "I'm so sorry. Sounds like it was a rough meeting."

"That's one way to describe it," he agreed. The rate things were going, they were going to have to abandon the project and find other ways to help combined societies like Yu Dao and Cranefish Town flourish. "I was hoping Iroh's presence and beautiful logic could help. I mean, he was able to get through to Zuko when he was at his worst emotionally." He shook his head again. "Despite the fact that the Earth Kingdom is physically the largest nation, and much of it is currently uninhabited and unused, he views the expansion of Yu Dao and the addition of new combined communities within the Earth Kingdom as incursions by foreigners annexing his land."

Katara sighed and pushed her book away. "Have you started looking at alternative plans?"

"Do you think we can find anyone familiar with the Dai Li's technology so we can brainwash him?" Aang asked, clearly joking. Though he was sure Kyoshi would have no qualms with it, he'd never do that.

Katara reached up to trace the center of the large arrow back from his forehead to his neck. Her touch alone was soothing. "Why don't I turn off dinner and we can go for a glide. Maybe get out of Ba Sing Se entirely for a few hours," she suggested. "There's that plateau with all the flowers you liked."

It was a good idea. He had no where else he had to be today, and even if Kauai tried to summon him back, there was no way Aang was returning to the negotiation table until he came up with some other options. The plateau had been showered with seeds from airbender land, so it had a familiar feel and sometimes helped him connect with the past lessons he hadn't been able to properly appreciate as a child. "Yeah. Let's do that."

"And if you want to brainstorm ideas, we can do that," she offered, swiftly dousing the stove's fire and covering the pot.. "Or you can meditate. I'm happy to just be with you if that helps."

He pulled her into a hug. "Thank you Katara," he whispered. "You always seem to know exactly what I need."

"You balance the world," she said, leaning back to look up at him. "I'm happy to help balance you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 30-minute sprint.
> 
> I have one more Kataang piece planned and am skipping the two AU prompts.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fluffy slice-of-life morning moment for Katara (age 19) and Aang (age 17) while they're in Ba Sing Se.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kataang Week 2020 prompt #1 - Keeping Warm

Katara stood in front of the stove in the cottage she shared with Aang during their visits to Ba Sing Se. It was fall, and between the fact that they weren't on the road and the fresh oat harvest, she had time and opportunity to prepare a breakfast that took more time than fruit and granola. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Aang heading for the back door. He'd been meditating when she got up. He was usually done by then, except when they were in the enormous city. While there were things he enjoyed about being here, mostly visiting the lower rings and talking to people, it was undeniably a stressful place to be. Negotiating with and mentoring King Kuai on how to be a strong leader without being a despot was no small task.

The back door opened with a tiny click and squeak. She turned to look at her boyfriend as he stood gazing out into the drab gray morning. She knew he could feel the heaviness in the clouds. It would drizzle all day.

"Oh dear," Aang said drily. "It's so cold and damp out. I simply can not go out in this."

Katara bit her lip to hold back the smile that wanted to spread across her face. "So true," she agreed. "You'll catch your death of chill."

He tilted his head and peeked at her over his shoulder, his gray eyes wide and innocent. She was frankly surprised he could pull off that look. "You must also avoid going out in this misery." He waved one hand half-heartedly at the courtyard. "I simply couldn't bear it if you took ill."

Her plans for the day had all been tentative, anyway. She nodded. "Yes. We should just stay here and keep warm. Together."

He beamed at her, and it was like the sun had come out in their kitchen. "I like the way you think." He closed the door and crossed the room, his arms open for a hug.

He'd long since out-stripped her height and was quickly catching up to Zuko and Sokka at this point. "I'm glad you're taking a day off," she murmured, content in his arms. 

He let out an airy chuckle. "Eh, there's this waterbender who I'm kind of crazy in love with," he casually mentioned as he squeezed her gently. "And she's been teaching me to go with the flow."

He'd had such difficulty finding a balance between work and life, something his earliest mentor had put such effort into establishing. When he'd come frush from the ice, he was still focusing more on the enjoyment of life, modeling the happiness and contentment he wanted people of all the nations to experience. The war had changed all of them, and he'd thrown himself into his avatar duties even more heavily during the rebuilding. She couldn't fault his dedication, but she worried about his ability to sustain such energy for the long term.

"You should definitely listen to that waterbender," she said. "Except when she's obviously wrong and needs a gentle nudge in another direction."

He outright laughed, leaning back to look her in the face. "Excuse you, but my waterbender is never wrong."

She gave him a skeptical look. When they'd been younger, it had been hard for her to admit when she was wrong. That stubbornness had been necessary to survive in an unfriendly environment with such a small population, but it could also be her undoing. It could still be difficult for her to see it once she got an idea in her head, but she'd learned a lot from Aang, Zuko and Iroh about personal growth and accepting the ideas and perspectives of others.

"She just needs a little time to collect and embrace all the information sometimes." He bent forward and kissed her forehead. "Love you, Sweetie."

"Love you, right back," she insisted, rising up on her toes to kiss his cheek. "Now let me finish breakfast and we can keep warm together, somehow."

Aang stepped back, letting her return to the oatmeal on the stove. "I know just what we need."

"Yeah?" she asked. "And what's that?"

"A pillow fort." It had been something he'd brought back from one of his weekends with Sokka and Zuko. "Pillow bending is one of the easiest of the bending arts. I could teach you, if you'd like." With that he scampered back toward the main room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written as a 30 minute sprint with no revision.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kataang Week 2020, prompt #2 - Soft.

Aang had barely stepped through the front door of the apartment when Katara thrust a bundle of soft fabric at him, pushing him toward the bathing room and bidding him to change. He knew she'd seen the growing weariness in his face over the last few days as the negotiations wore on. It seemed that helping non-benders and benders live together in a peaceful and equitable society was even harder than helping people of other cultures do the same. Instead of earth and fire nation citizens being at each others' throats, the people of both these nations were fully aligned by bending status. He'd met children with bending abilities who'd been disowned by their non-bending families. And neither side would yield even the tiniest concessions.

It was exhausting and completely stupid. But he couldn't tell any of them how idiotic they were being without looking like he was choosing sides.

In the bathing room, he stripped and rinsed off quickly. It was definitely easier to wash up fast when you were a bender, that much was certain. He held up the clothes Katara had given him, recognizing the fabric as something she'd been working on since they'd arrived. She'd neatly deflected his questions on the project, and here he was getting to be the recipient of her labors. He smiled, hugging the fabric to his chest for a moment. He loved that she made him things with her hands, not just her powers. There was no bending on earth that could duplicate the craft of carefully honed skill. Maybe that was an angle he could explore when he met with the townsfolk next.

All thoughts of returning to the negotiation slipped away as he pulled on the comfortable knee length pants. They were so soft, it almost felt decadent to have them brushing his skin. And while he would have once found the length odd, they were perfect for the season and climate. Any longer and they would have been too much, and he would have missed out on the deliciousness of this fabric. He pulled the shirt over his head, again delighting at the softness. It fit loosely, comfortably, like a gentle hug from a loved one.

He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, letting out all his frustrations as he exhaled. It was so like Katara to know exactly what he needed.

When he returned to the main room of their apartment, he found his girlfriend placing light snacks on the low table while adjusting cushions. Though she'd teased him about cross-training in pillow bending, she'd been quick to adopt it as well.

She looked up, probably more alerted by the sound of the door than his silent approach. A contented smile, one he loved to see, appeared on her face. "Oh good. It fits just as I'd hoped. How does it feel?"

"Spirits Katara, this is the most comfortable outfit I've ever worn. What's this fabric?" He shook his head. "I've never felt anything like it."

She nodded. "It's a local specialty," she explained, reaching out to run her hand down his chest. Though to anyone else it would have looked like she was testing the fit, but he knew she was doing it to soothe him further. "It's called viluna and it comes from the wool of the alpaca-pigs native to the area."

"How have I never heard of it?" he wanted to know. "Airbenders traveled everywhere when I was a kid. Is it one of the new inventions?" With the war being over, and people no longer focused on the development and production of weapons and machines of destruction, the world was seeing a burst of creative ingenuity.

"It's apparently been around for a long time, but the method of making it was very time consuming until some of the more recent looms became available." She gestured to the pillows, encouraging him to sit. "And people couldn't really focus on producing and distributing it during the war. The process of making it is a highly guarded non-bender trade secret, and you can only buy it in the non-bender market." She shrugged. "I thought it would be a nice way to help you relax while you're trying to help these people. There's so much hurt here." Her eyes were sad, and he knew she was thinking about the fractionalization her own tribe had gone through.

"There is," he agreed. "But I think I'm on the cusp of figuring out how to help them begin to move past it." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as she settled beside him. "Thank you, Sweetie."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 30 minute sprint with no revision or research (so apologies for errors and lack of town name).


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara is volunteering at a small medical facility while Aang helps with avatar duties in town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kataang week 2020, prompt #3 - blood/wounds

"I'm sure you'll be feeling better over the next week," Katara explained, patting her patient's hand. "But be sure to come back if you need a little more help."

The woman grasped Katara's hand. "Thank you so much, healer Katara. I know some morning sickness is normal, but this felt so… so much."

Katara nodded sympathetically. "Twins will do that." Her patient's smile wavered a little at the reminder. It had been an overwhelming visit. "And now you know that you deserve to rest and can lean on others until you're feeling better, right?"

The woman nodded.

"And you'll likely need the same help once the babes arrive, so it's best that you get used to accepting it." She knew how hard it was to ask for help.

Her patient had just left and she was adding a note to the chart when she heard the flurry of activity at the little hospital's entrance.That had to herald an emergency, which meant she was needed. She set aside her paperwork and moved quickly to the admitting room. She was simultaneously surprised and not to see Aang there, surrounded by a group of the townsfolk, all of them looking grubby and a bit worse for wear. Her boyfriend, however, was the only one who looked like a mountain had fallen **on** him, not simply near him.

"Please look over your own people first," Aang said to the medical director, speaking over the objections of those with him. "I assure you, I have seen worse."

Katara let out a sigh and strode into the admitting room. "While that is definitely true…" The room went silent at her words. "We have a practice in medicine called triage, where we assess quickly and treat those most in need first." None of the other people had so much as a scratch.

The medical director's relief at her arrival was abundantly clear. "I understand you are accustomed to treating Avatar Aang, Healer Katara. Would you be available to tend to him now while I see to my friends and neighbors?"

"Gladly," Katara replied. She held out a hand to Aang. "Come this way please."

Aang rolled his eyes and let his shoulders drop. "I stand overruled." He looked at the medical director again. "Ma'am, please feel free to interrupt Katara if you find her services are urgently needed. I am content to wait in that situation."

The woman nodded, then waved him off to Katara.

They were silent as she led him down the short hall to the exam room that had been made hers for the duration of their stay. She tugged a fresh sheet over the firm bed and patted the surface lightly. "Have a seat." She wanted to ask what happened, but she'd also learned that sometimes it was best to let him volunteer information.

"I'm really sorry." His voice was a little tired. He slipped his one shouldered top over his head, tossing it to the floor beside the bed. Though there wasn't a lot of blood, there were many, many abrasions marring his fair skin.

"Oh, love," she murmured. "Are you really all right?"

He shot her a crooked smile that was more assuring than any words could have been.

She reached for the bucket of water and started with rinsing away the dirt and grime. It helped his overall appearance, while making the scrapes stand out more starkly. "You look like a mountain fell on you."

He snorted. "Funny you should say that."

"What?" she demanded, though she continued her work, easing the injuries to leave unscarred flesh.

"I went to look at a hillside prone to landslides," he explained. "I figured I could stabilize it, make it safer."

"And it collapsed?" she prompted, shaking her head.

He shrugged. "I was able to protect everyone, so no one was seriously hurt."

"Of course you did." It was just his way. "Spirits, you need to be more careful."

"Heh, spirits." He let out a mirthless laugh.

"Really?" The involvement of the few spirits in the human realm always complicated things.

Aang nodded. "The spirit of the mountain is…" he struggled to find the right words. "Mountains are strong, you know. They have to be."

She nodded and kissed his shoulder blade as she moved to healing his arms. "Reminds me of someone."

Though he was no stranger to her pride and affection, he still looked terribly pleased. "But she's stood alone for so long. She feels disconnected from both the spirits who are no longer here and the people who are."

That was a tragedy, right up there with the tale of Oma and Shu. But between the war and her many travels with Aang, she knew good could come from tragedy. "Is there anything that can be done for her?"

Aang nodded. "The people here are good and caring. If they understand they have a spirit of their own here to protect them, I think they would be more than happy to honor her in some fashion over the course of each year. That recognition would be enough for her to feel part of their lives, important again."

Katara healed away the last of his scrapes and scooped his dirty tunic off the floor. With a swirl of waterbending it was clean again, though it would need some patching tonight. "You're amazing, my love."

His face went full-on pink.

"Zuko was right when he said we needed an avatar with your compassion for others to heal the world." She rested her hand on his cheek. "I think he was talking more about how you could bridge the gap between the people and the nations, but you're also helping us understand the spirits who are very much a part of this world, and making things better between us and them."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 30 minute sprint, with no revision. This didn't feel like it flowed as much as I'd hoped, so apologies if it's a bit rough.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aang has been away from Katara on avatar business, and he's looking forward to their reunion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kataang Week 2020, prompt #4 PDA

Aang gently bit his bottom lip, trying to hold in the excitement he felt as the Southern Water Tribe finally came into view. His home was there, just up ahead, and he couldn't wait to see her.

Appa let out a happy call.

"I know," Aang agreed, reaching to scratch behind his best friend's ear. "Me too." Appa was a true airbender at heart, embracing travel and loving something about each place they visited. The big sky bison enjoyed rolling around in fresh snow and sliding insanely fast down the steepest hills. He also cared greatly for all their companions, but Katara was his favorite. Aang wasn't sure if his love for the amazing waterbender had influenced Appa's attachment, or if she'd done something special for his friend. Both could easily play a role, and Appa wasn't telling.

There was a flurry of activity in the growing water tribe city, visible even from his distant vantage point. He chuckled as he saw the flag Sokka had designed for him run up a pole next to the Southern Water Tribe flag. Once word got out, all capitals and big cities wanted to have their own flag to indicate when the avatar was in residence.

He'd been spotted, so surely Katara would soon know he was nearly there, if she didn't already know. She was kind of amazing that way. He wasn't sure how she managed to be both so busy yet so aware of what was going on around her at any given time. It made sneaking up on her impossible.

He couldn't wait to see her. The last two weeks without her had been entirely too long, and he missed all the regular day to day comforts he drew from his forever girl. He missed hearing her talk about her day, her healing hands soothing away his stress as he talked about his, and the peace he felt when she smiled. Katara made the world a better place for so many people, and he took a moment to appreciate how much better his world, his life was thanks to the good fortune of having her in it. 

Their greetings when they'd been apart like this were usually effusive and full of oogies, according to Sokka. Alas, such a reunion was unlikely today. Hakoda would likely be in the audience, and Katara was uncomfortable kissing in front of her father. Aang didn't quite understand that. She was an adult, and they were clearly in a committed relationship. Growing up, he'd seen that Airbenders didn't hide their honest and sincere affections, though they didn't cling to them either. It wasn't a Water Tribe custom, either, as Aang had seen people kissing in public, both light and sweet and far more potently, at both the north and south poles. Hakoda had kissed the ladies he'd courted in front of his kids. It was just a Katara thing, and he'd just have to be patient. Her boundaries were clear, even if he didn't understand them, and there was no power on this earth that could convince him to cross those.

He could be content with her hugs and small touches until they could be alone and he could show her just how happy he was to see her.

In what felt simultaneously like mere minutes, but also elongated hours, Appa was touching down in front of the Southern Water Tribe palace. Though most referred to it as the municipal building or tribal hall, it was clearly a palace, opulent and grand. Hakoda would have been fine with a much simpler building, something more utilitarian, but his people wanted this and he bowed to the will of his people.

A crowd had gathered around Appa the moment he touched down, and Aang scanned quickly for his sweetie. His heart gave a happy jump as he caught sight of her, and he dismounted on her side, closing the distance between them with eager steps and open arms. He wouldn't be surprised if she'd used a bit of her bending to fly to him, her body crashing gently but firmly into his.

He spun her in a happy circle, feeling her feet swing off the ground as he did so. Pressing his cheek to hers, he whispered, "I have missed you so much." Her tight grip returned the sentiment.

As he loosened his hold to step back, her hands came up to hold his face between them. They were bare but warm. Then, to his delighted surprise, she stretched up onto her toes and gently pulled him down for a quick kiss. It was more innocent and sweet than their first kisses, but it filled him with just as much love and joy as they had.

"Welcome home," she whispered, that adorable knowing smile on her face. He'd told her that as an airbender, home didn't have to be a physical place. As the avatar, connected to the world as a whole, no one place was more his home than any other. Home was a feeling or state of mind, and more than any apartment or home or city, she was his home.

He held her eyes as he lightly touched his forehead to hers, just content to be in this moment. "It's good to be home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've gotten a little behind on these, obviously, but I do plan to wrap up the rest of these prompts (ideally this week).

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to visit me over on [Tumblr](http://freedom-shamrock.tumblr.com/). If you have constructive feedback or need to discuss an aspect of this story, I've found that sort of thing tends to work better via direct messaging or asks than the comments section here.


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